Google is rumored to be working hard to bring augmented reality to its camera app. If the rumor is true, the search giant will probably leverage technology from Google Goggles, thereby allowing users to see relevant search results like transit information, nearby restaurants and retailers recommended for buying products more easily.
Google Goggles getting a big uplift
The Android camera app, according to rumors, will get Google Goggles capabilities, an augmented reality app that allows users to search by taking a picture of anything. It is a great application, but as not all people download it, the tech firm is bringing its functionality to the official camera app.
Citing an anonymous source,Android Authority says the integration will include a new feature which will let users outline specific areas of the picture, so they can directly target their searches. Since the last iteration only allowed users to search the whole image, this new feature would be an improvement on Google Goggles.
This new technology has also been tested in “wearable computing devices” as well, according to some reports. This could suggest that this new technology may come to products like Google Glass and possibly even virtual reality (or AR) headsets.
Encouraging mobile search
Google Goggles was launched in 2009 as a visual search technology app, but after some years, the search giant stopped updating the application, and it failed to garner any more interest. If the rumor about augmented reality is true, the company will merge it directly with the camera so it gets incorporated in all phones instead of making it a standalone app. This will likely build up mobile search usage.
It’s likely that with the reported Google keyboard, the search giant is looking for more ways to encourage people to search without having to open up another app (i.e., by integrating it into the tools users are accustomed to using).
Also the latest rumor hints that Google’s official Camera app will get some extra functions. However, it is not new and is just the implementation of a technology the search giant already uses. There has been no comment on the report yet from Google.